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Characterization and Preliminary Polyethylene Microplastic Degradation Potential of Indigenous Bacteria from the Opak River
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Scientists found bacteria living in an Indonesian river that can naturally break down the surface of polyethylene, one of the most common plastics found in water bottles and packaging (and a major source of the microplastics we're increasingly finding in our food and bodies). While these bacteria only caused early surface damage over 60 days—not full breakdown of the plastic—this discovery could help researchers develop better ways to speed up plastic decomposition in the environment, potentially reducing the microplastic pollution that ends up in our water and food supply.
This study assesses the ability of indigenous bacterial consortia isolated from the Opak River (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) to cause early surface changes on polyethylene (PE) microplastics and to explain the related biofilm-polymer interfacial interactions. Five different stations were sampled and grown on Malt Extract Agar, which produced 24 bacterial isolates that were identified by macroscopic analysis and Gram staining. Two isolates (7 SM1 and 4 SM 1) had the largest clear zones on Mineral Salt Medium (MSM) with polyethylene glycol (3.791 ± 0.123 mm and 2.320 ± 0.174 mm, respectively) and were then combined to form a composite bacterial consortium. Over a 60-day incubation, the consortium caused a loss in mass of polyethylene (PE) of 2.270 ± 0.052%, whereas abiotic controls showed minimal loss (0.061 ± 0.065%), indicating substantially greater mass reduction under microbial activity. FTIR spectroscopy showed surface chemical changes that were evidence of oxidative reactions, which were represented by C=O and C–O functional groups; these results indicated that an interfacial change was caused by biofilm activity and not full mineralization of the polymer. Furthermore, SEM was used to verify progressive surface changes observed in the bacterial treatment, including pits, holes, microcracks, and delamination. Such morphological alterations are suggestive of initial stages of biodeterioration and surface oxidation, thus increasing microbial-polymer interactions. Overall, these findings suggest that indigenous freshwater bacteria can induce oxidative surface modification of polyethylene microplastics, thereby contributing to a better understanding of early microbe–polymer interactions relevant to microplastic degradation processes.
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